


It's lonely out in space

by hart_of_gold



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), just carolrhodey cause there underated
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2020-02-29 20:41:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18785827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hart_of_gold/pseuds/hart_of_gold
Summary: He knows she’s never been able to stay in the same place for too long. She’s never been able to stay out of the sky for too long. He understands, to a point, to the point where if he loved someone he would give all of that up, the urge would just leave. Her urge to fly never seemed to be able to do that.---Post Infinty War Carorhodey





	It's lonely out in space

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this while listening to Rocketman by Elton John on repeat and it goes so well with not only this fic (for obvious reasons) but also this ship it's crazy. So maybe listen to it while your reading.

His arms are wrapped around her chest and their post leaned up against the compound walls looking up at the sky. He doesn’t say anything, even though he can feel the nervous energy radiating off her in waves. And he knows her so well by now that he can tell it’s not just the normal hum of energy her body gives off. She's not moving but he can feel the pulling he watches her and can see her pulling at her own skin itching to just go. He takes comfort in the fact that he is the thing keeping her on Earth, but it makes him feel guilty in the same breath. 

“You have to go, don’t you?” He puts his head on her shoulder. “Or at least you want to.” 

She uses one of her free hands to grab on to one of his, it’s warm like they always are, not enough to burn, she knows how to control it, but warmer than that of your average human. But then again, she’s not really human anymore, is she? “What makes you say that?” She asks, her eyes never leaving the sky above them. 

“Because I know you.” He says, and it’s true, he knows she’s never been able to stay in the same place for too long. She’s never been able to stay out of the sky for too long. He understands, to a point, to the point where if he loved someone he would give all of that up, the urge would just leave. Her urge to fly never seemed to be able to do that. “I know you want to be off in space, hanging out with your alien buddies again.” 

“How many times to I have to tell you I don’t have alien buddies. I single-handedly tried to liberate the galaxy from the Kree and I didn’t have as much success as you would think. That doesn’t garner you a lot of buddies.” 

“That and you can only make interpersonal connections with three people at a time.” He smiles. 

“Ouch.” She thinks about punching him in the shoulder but she learned the first time she’d done it that would really hurt. That and it would interrupt the very comfortable position they were standing in. She wants to say something else, something that will deviate the conversation away from the obvious conclusion that it’s veering towards. How is she supposed to tell him she wants to leave so much it keeps her awake at night? 

The urge went away when they left new york. It was a quick trip, down to Louisiana to see if Monica and Maria were still well, alive. As it turned out, Maria had disappeared in the snap and Monica was left to pick up the pieces. The momentary reprieve left as quickly as it had come and she had the urge again to leave, fly away from the stupid planet that she barely remembered where her best friend was gone. First fury, then Maria, all of it made her want to blast off right from the backyard she had all those years ago, and just go somewhere, anywhere. But how could she? 

“When are you leaving?” He asks, veering the runaway train right into the most dangerous path. They were on collision course, destined to hit the mountain or the mudslide or the water or something. No third rail, no canary in the coal mine because both of them already knew that they were just delaying the inevitable. “Just so I can prepare.”

“Who said I was leaving?”

 

“Sorry I was just judging by your loving looks up at space and the way you are trying to avoid the topic in every way except for literally running away.” 

She cocks her head to the side so that it's resting on his. “I love you.” 

“I know Spacegirl.” 

“So your just gonna call me that from now on, huh?”

 

“Well, maybe I’ll think about a new nickname when you get your head out of the stars.” He releases his grasp on her and pulls her in for a kiss. “But I don’t see that happening anytime soon.” 

“Your right about that one.” She smiles, and for a minute he has all of her attention, she’s not thinking about space, she’s not thinking about leaving she’s just thinking about how much she’ll miss him when she goes. If I go she thinks, correcting herself. “What if you come with me?” 

His face falls. “I can’t just leave, jet set off to space with you. We’d need a ship, and I can’t.” He gestures out at New York, half the lights sparkling in the distance. “We’ve got some people to avenge.” 

“That is so tag liney I can’t, Look I get it Rhodes but you are never allowed to say that again.” 

“Gone but only if you never say tag lonely. What does that even mean?” 

“I was gonna say cheesy but that would imply that what you said was cute. It wasn’t cute, it was-” She sighed, “-real. Crap, have the universe is gone.” She shook her head, “Half the universe is gone. And I wasn't even here.” She looked him in the eyes again, “I feel powerless here Rhodes. At least up there, I can do something.” 

“Okay.”

“Okay, what?’

 

“You can go.”

 

“You're serious?” 

 

“Just promise me you’ll actually come back within the next decade. I’m having suspicious flashbacks to 1999, and I don’t want to.”

“Well, now you guys have the actual tech to receive my calls from space and not some dinky little pager that barely worked.” 

“Fury told me that was your idea-”

“Let’s not point fingers here.” She says and kisses him again suddenly and for a long time. “I love you so much. I’m coming back, I promise. And If I don’t I give you permission to come to space and personally drag me back here.” 

“I love you too space girl.” He doesn’t want her to go, truly, but he knows her enough, loves her enough that he is going to let her go. 

“I hope you find what you're looking for out there.” He nods, and suddenly she’s glowing and the next second she's off, she’s a tiny dot in the sky until she's totally gone. But he doesn’t stop staring at the stars for a long time. He stands and leans against the wall, wishing for her to come back right then. He remembers something she said to him a long time ago about flying. He doesn’t remember it word for word but it was something about flying to the highest point and then being able to look back to see exactly where you belong. He hopes she looks back and realizes she belongs here with him, and then he goes back inside. 

\---

Rocket man.. Burning out his fuse up there alone   
And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time   
And I think it’s gonna be a long long time.


End file.
